Associate Lawyers

At WCL&W, Associate Attorneys will be assigned to work with our zoning, transactions or litigation groups. All associates will be required to ensure that all the necessary documents are reviewed and researched and to coordinate the activities of the entire project team — including internal staff, as well as the client’s consultants and others. Associates also often make presentations before a variety of public forums, speaking on behalf of our clients in straightforward, non-legal terms.

In the Zoning group, learning is best done by doing, so new attorneys are given hands-on training and responsibility as quickly as possible. Our young lawyers follow more senior attorneys working on cases, and quickly gain complete exposure to our clients’ processes and strategies. The goal of our training is to permit young lawyers to handle basic zoning cases from filing through public hearings early in their careers, with oversight from partners on larger cases. Many of our new associates are making full presentations before civic associations and other groups within a year of joining the firm. Associates are required to work non-typical business hours — making presentations at meetings held in the evening or on weekends, depending on the jurisdiction.

Transactions Attorneys at WCL&W serve as the guiding force to coordinate the many players that typically are involved in our clients’ transactions. In addition to helping negotiate the terms of sales and other arrangements, transactions attorneys coordinate the actions of the lender, seller, consultants, surveyors, and others. Transactions attorneys are responsible for drafting a variety of documents, including contracts specifying terms of sales and leases, contracts between developers and contracts between our clients and County governments, and covenants establishing homeowner and condominium associations.

Applicants who aspire to join our firm as transactions attorneys should have outstanding skills in writing sales contracts and other documents relating to property development. They should be diligent, able to coordinate the efforts of paralegals and others, and skilled at juggling multiple cases. Transactions attorneys at WCL&W can expect to work traditional business hours, with occasional evening or weekend work as required by circumstances.

Litigation associates work hand-in-hand with shareholders and can expect to be in trial early in their career. Our litigation practice is diverse and complex. Excellent working skills are critical to the success of our cases in both Virginia Federal and state courts.